I am writing to you concerning the
latest incidents in West Papua. A number of soldiers and
civilians were killed last Thursday when they were ambushed
by unknown gunmen. We are concerned that the Indonesian
military may target local people in the areas where the
ambushes took place during security operations in the hunt
for the perpetrators of the attacks.

You may
remember the tragic events that occurred last June when the
Indonesian security forces ran amok attacking the village of
Honai Lama in Wamena in the Baliem Valley. During that
attack a number of people were killed and wounded and a
large number of houses destroyed. The attack on the village
was sparked by a road accident in which a child was knocked
down while he was playing by the side of the road by two
soldiers on motorbikes from Kostrad, the Indonesian Army's
strategic reserve. The villagers turned on the soldiers and
in the melee that followed the soldiers were dragged from
their motorcycles and one died after allegedly being
stabbed. The revenge attack on the local villagers shows how
unprofessional and undisciplined the Indonesian military can
be.

AWPA is concerned that the military made take
revenge on the local people because of the death of the
soldiers in the recent incidents. We are concerned by
statements by the Indonesia`s Deputy Minister of Defense
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin who said the Indonesian Defense Forces
(TNI) will take a firm stand by conducting tactical action
against the armed groups that killed eight military officers
and five civilians in Papua on Thursday (Feb 21). "The
tactical action includes to chase, apprehend and destroy,"
the deputy minister said here on Friday. (Antara News
report). Statements such as this create fear in the West
Papuan people who are well aware what sweeping operations
against so call separatists mean.

AWPA calls on the
Australian Government to use its good offices with the
Indonesian Government to call for the halt to any (or
proposed) military operations in West Papua as a way of
avoiding further escalation of the situation and avoiding
further bloodshed.

Torture
allegationsThe Asian Human Rights Commission
(AHRC) released a report regarding the torture of twenty
prisoners at the Abepura Correctional Facility, Papua, on 21
January 2013. Information gathered by local activists
reveals that the torture was conducted by three prison
guards with the acquiescence of the head of the prison. The
victims were beaten with bare hands as well as whipped with
thick wire until some parts of their bodies were bleeding.
Despite the injuries suffered the prison guards did not give
any medical treatment to the tortured prisoners.

The AHRC
also reported on the arbitrary arrest and torture of seven
Papuans which took place on 15 February 2013. The victims
were driving home in two cars when the police stopped them
as they were looking for two pro-independence activists. The
victims were later brought to the police station where they
were further questioned on the whereabouts of the activists.
They were severely beaten, kicked and electrocuted before
five of them were released without charge the next day.
However two of the victims still remain in police custody.
They are being charged with possession of bladed articles
which is totally unrelated with the police's initial
unreasonable allegation.

Indonesia is a state party
to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the right
not to be tortured is guaranteed under the 1945
Constitution.

We urge you to raise these grave
matters of torture with the Indonesian President urging him
to see that the victims are granted adequate medical
treatment so their injuries are treated and that the torture
allegations are impartially and effectively investigated and
those responsible for it are charged according to law.

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